Shuttle



Oct. 20, 1936. w TEBO 2,058,190

UTTLE Filed May 1, 56

22 I v ENTOR, W|LL|AM ATTORNEY,

Patented Oct. 20, 1936 SHUTTLE William A. Tebo, Anthony, E. 1., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application May 1, 1936, serial No. 77,390 10 Claims. (01. 139-223) The present invention pertains to automatically threading loom shuttles for use in automatic bobbin-changing looms.

Shuttles of this type comprise a shuttle body '5 containing an automatically replaceable filling carrier, a side delivery eye and a threading block which guides the running filling into the delivery eye. The shuttle has a longitudinal thread passage, which extends through the threading block,

ll into which passage the running filling becomes threaded during the first pick after the transfer of a filling carrier into the shuttle. The threading block is also provided with a horn which projects over the thread passage for the purpose of guiding the filling forwardly and downwardly into the side delivery eye early in the second pick after transfer.

It has been found that in prior shuttlesthe filling will sometimes unthread about the horn at the end of the first pick or at the beginning of the second pick after transfer instead of threading down into the side delivery eye.

The principalobject of my invention is to prevent such unthreading by employing in an automatically threading loom shuttle having such-a side delivery eye, threading block and horn, a novel guide, preferably composed of wire, which is fixed in the shuttle body so as to project inwardly into the thread passage above the path in which the filling runs during the first pick after transfer, and which holds the filling in such position in the threading block that any tendency of the filling to unthread is diminished.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the shuttle as to prevent an overthrown loop (which can occur only after the filling is threaded into the side delivery eye) from throwing out ofthe side delivery eye.

0 The aforementioned and other objects of the illustrated on the accompanying drawing, of

which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the thread delivery end of a shuttle having my invention applied thereto, this view illustrating the preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with part of the threading block broken away and with the hereinafter described in detail. The shuttle body invention are accomplished by the constructions is provided with any conventional means (not shown) by which the bobbin is releasably held in the cavity and which permits the bobbin to be automatically replaced by a fresh one whenever the filling supply becomes substantially exhausted. r.

The threading instrumentalities include a side and a horn l0 which projects outwardly and rearwardly from the front wall. Threading blocks having the foregoing characteristics are generally old.

The expressions denoting direction, as herein used, are applicable to theshuttle when the latter 20 is considered to be positioned in a loom and boxed at the side of the loom toward which the tip ll of the shuttle points. Thus, forwardly is toward the front of the loom and outwardly is in a direction from the cavity 2 toward the tip ll of the shuttle.

The shuttle is provided with a thread passage which extends from the cavity 2 longitudinally outwardlyv toward the tip II of the shuttle. The thread passage extends through the threading block, being defined by thewalls and floor of the block. A groove i2 is formed in the shuttle body in outward continuation of the. thread passage in the threading block. The thread passage communicates with the side delivery eye 4 in the usual manner. I have added to the shuttle a thread guide member which, in the preferred embodiment of Figs. 1-3, is comprised of a wire finger l3 which extends longitudinally of the shuttle and is substantially horizontal. The outer end of the finger is fixed in the groove I2, as by being turned downwardly at M and driven into the shuttle body, at a point outwardly from the threading block and forwardly from the rearward free end of the horn Ill. The finger is spaced materially above the bottom of the groove I 2 and extends from its fixed part I 4 inwardly beneath the horn I0 and Well into the thread passage in the threading block.

The inner end [5 of the finger is free and is bent downwardly and, forwardly toward the adjacent wall of the lug 16 of the threading block. Preferably, the lug I6 is provided with a groove l6 into which the end l5 projects leaving a space around the end of the finger for the passage of the filling during the first pick after transfer.

In the operation of the shuttle in a loom, a fillingcarrier is transferred into the cavity 2 at a time when the shuttle is boxed as above de+ scribed.) Thev filling end I then extends from thefilling carrier outwardly and upwardly above the threading block to the usual fixed holder (not shown). Immediately after transfer, the lay and shuttle move rearwardly and the shuttle is picked toward the left, Figs. 1 and 2. As the shuttle is thus picked the running filling unwinds from the filling carrier and in so unwinding swirls or" balloons so that it passes downwardly about the V guard 9 and the end of the horn l0 and thence forwardly into the position in which it is shown on Fig. 1. The filling is guided by the finger l3 and its inclined end [5 forwardly and downwardly into a position in the thread passage .below the finger.

This threading of the filling into the position just described occurs early in the first pick of the shuttle after transfer. This position, wherein the filling extends from the filling carrier through the thread passage in the threading block beneath the finger l3 and outwardly in the groove I2, is the normal path of the filling throughout the remainder, ,or practically the whole, of the first pick after transfer. It will be noted that there is ample space in the groove forwardly of the finger for the filling.

After the shuttle is boxed at the end of the first pick it is moved with the lay forwardly and then rearwardly and. is then picked in the opposite direction. Such movements of the shuttle slacken the running filling and. thus induce it to loop, twist, and kink upwardly, or rearwardly and upwardly, and. thus unthread about the rearward end of the horn 10 instead of sliding down into the delivery. eye as it should.

The thread guiding finger l3 greatly diminishes the chance of slack filling from unthreading from under the free end of the horn. The finger is positioned above the aforesaid normal path of the running filling during the first pick after transfer. Any movement of the filling in a direction to unthread about the horn, that is, movement in an upward or rearward and upward direction, will result in the filling engaging the overlying trapping finger and thus being held in the thread passage. The filling, when thus prevented from unthreading, slides down the opening ll into the side delivery eye during the second pick after transfer.

A further advantage of the finger [5 as above described is that it presents an effective obstacle to the throwing out of an overthrown loop from the delivery eye.. That is, after the filling becomes threaded into the delivery eye, there is a tendency for loops, such as L, Fig. 2, to be thrown outwardly each time the shuttle is boxed at the side of the loom toward which the tip ll points. In my shuttle the finger I3 is forward of any overthrown loop L which must be deflected to the rear of the passage by the guard 9 before it can throw upwardly out of the thread passage, and the finger therefore holds the filling down in the thread passage and thus obstructs the throwing of the filling out of the delivery eye.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a slightly modified form of threading block and wire finger. The threading block 20 shown thereon is identical with the threadingblock above described except that the groove 2| for reception of the free end of the finger 22 extends nearly horizontally instead of vertically. The finger 22 is straight and instead of being truly horizontal it may extend inwardly and slightly downwardly from its outer end. I find that with this construction the running filling during the first pick after transfer will balloon downwardly and forwardly. about the free end of the horn and thereafter, as the shuttle continues its flight, will find its way about the free end of the finger and down into the thread passage as above described. The shuttle com prising the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 may be otherwise identical with the shuttle of Figs. 1-3. Having fully disclosed the preferred embodimerit of my invention, I claim:

1. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle-body adapted to hold a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a threading block fixed in a recess in said body, said shuttle having a. longitudinal thread passage comprising a passage in said threading block and an outwardly extending groove formed in said shuttle body, said threading block having a horn extending outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage and terminating in said groove, and a thread guiding finger fixed in said groove forwardly of the free end of said horn, there being a space in said groove forwardly of said finger to receive the running filling during the first pick after transfer, said finger extending from said groove longitudinally inwardly of the shuttle beneath said horn and into the said passage in said threading block above the normal path of the running filling during the first pick after transfer, for the purpose described 2. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle bodyadapted to hold a filling.

carrier in a cavity therein, a threading block fixed in a recess in said body, said threading block havingfront and rear walls, a floor and a horn,v said shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage formed in part by the walls and floor of said threading block and in part by a groove formed in said shuttle body and extending outwardly from said threading block, said horn ex tending from said front wall outwardly and rearwardly over said thread passage and terminating in said groove, and a thread guiding finger. fixed in said groove at a point outwardly and forwardly of the shuttle from the rearward end of said horn, there being a space in said groove forwardly of said fingerv to receive the running filling during the first pick after transfer, said finger projecting longitudinally inwardly of the shuttle beneath said horn and a substantial distance into the first said part of said thread passage above the normal path of the running filling during the first pick after transfer, for the purpose described.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body, a threading block in said shuttle body having front and rear walls defining a longitudinal thread passage, there being alongitudinal groove formed in said shuttle body and extending outwardly from said threading ,block, said threading block having a horn which projects from said front walloutwardly and rearwardly and terminates in. said groove, and a thread guiding finger fixed in said groove at a point outwardly and forwardly of the shuttle from the rearward end of said horn, there being a space in said groove forwardly of said finger to receive the running filling during the first pick after transfer, said finger projecting inwardly beneath said horn and into said thread passage in position to overlie the running filling during said first pick after transfer, thereby preventing the filling from unthreading rearwardly about said horn.

. 4. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in .a cavity therein, a threading block having a. longitudinally extending threadv passage communicating with said cavity, said threading block being provided with a horn projecting outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage and terminating in a longitudinally extending groove which is formed in said shuttle body in continuation of said thread passage, and a thread guiding finger having its outer end fixed in said groove at a point outwardly of the shuttle from said horn and its inner end free, said finger extending from its fixed end inwardly beneath said horn and a substantial distance into said thread passage, said finger being positioned forwardly of the rearward end of said horn and above the bottom of said groove and thread passage to thereby prevent a filling thread positioned beneath the finger from unthreading rearwardly and upwardly about said horn.

5. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a threading block having a longitudinally extending thread passage communicating with said cavity, said threading block being provided with a horn projecting outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage and terminating in a longitudinally extending groove which is formed in said shuttle body in continuation of said thread passage, and a thread guiding finger having its outer end fixed in said groove at a point outwardly of the shuttle from said horn and its inner end free, said finger extending from its fixed end inwardly beneath said horn and a substantial distance into said thread passage, said finger extending generally horizontally a material distance forwardly of the rearward end of said horn and overlying the normal path of the running filling through said thread passage and groove to thereby prevent said filling from unthreading rearwardly or upwardly about said horn.

6. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a threading block having a longitudinally extending thread passage communicating with said cavity, said threading block having a front wall and a horn which projects from said wall outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage and the free end of which turns downwardly into a groove provided therefor in said shuttle body, there being a space in said groove beneath said horn forwardly of the downturned end thereof through which space the running filling extends during the first pick after transfer, and a thread guiding finger having a substantially horizontal portion positioned in said thread passage and groove beneath said horn forwardly of the downturned end thereof, the outer end of said finger being fixed in said groove and the inner end thereof being free and terminating in a groove formed therefor in said wall of said threading block, for the purpose described.

'7. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a threading block fixed in said shuttle body, said shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage extending through said threading block, said threading block having a front wall and a horn which extends from said wall outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage, and a thread guiding finger which extends generally longitudinally of the shuttle beneath said horn forwardly of the rearward end of the latter, said finger being spaced above the bottom of said thread passage and the inner end of said finger being free and terminating in a groove in said wall, whereby the running filling during the first pick after transfer may pass downwardly about the free end of said finger into the thread passage, the outer end of said finger being fixed in said shuttle body outwardly thereof from said horn, whereby said finger overlies said filling in said thread passage andthereby prevents the filling from unthreading rearwardly about the rearward end of said horn.

8. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a threading block fixed in said shuttle body, said shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage extending through said threading block, said threading block having a front Wall and a horn which extends from said wall outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage, and a thread guiding finger which extends generally longitudinally of the shuttle beneath said horn forwardly of the rearward end of the latter, said finger being spaced above the bottom of said thread passage and the inner end of said finger being free and being inclined downwardly and forwardly. toward said wall to thereby guide the running filling forwardly and downwardly in the thread passage during the first pick after transfer, the outer end of said finger being fixed in said shuttle body, whereby the running filling in said thread passage beneath said finger is prevented from unthreading about the rearward end of said horn.

9. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a side delivery eye, a threading block having a longitudinal thread passage communicating with said cavity and with said delivery eye, and means for preventing an overthrown loop of the filling from throwing out of said delivery eye; said means including a finger the outer end of which is fixed in said shuttle body at a point outwardly of the shuttle from the normal path of the filling through said thread passage and delivery eye, said finger projecting inwardly of the shuttle above said path and having its inner end free and terminating in said thread passage, and guard means carried by said threading block for deflecting an overthrown loop to the rearward side of said finger.

10. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body containing a filling carrier in a cavity therein, a side delivery eye, a threading block having a longitudinal thread passage communicating with said cavity and with said delivery eye, said threading block having a front wall and a horn which projects from said wall outwardly and rearwardly above said thread passage, a finger having its outer end fixed in said shuttle body outwardly from said horn, said finger projecting inwardly of the shuttle beneath said horn and into said thread passage, the inner end of said finger being free and being positioned above the normal path of the running filling through said thread passage and delivery eye, and guard means carried by said threading block for deflecting an overthrown loop of filling to the rearward side of said finger whereby the latter prevents said loop from throwing out of said delivery eye.

WILLIAM A. TEBO. 

